The present invention is directed to a connecting pin for a circuit board, and more particularly to a connecting pin that extends longitudinally from an edge of a circuit board. The invention is also directed to a combination of the connecting pin and the circuit board.
Circuit boards are typically electrically connected to a fitting by positioning the circuit board so that the connecting pins at an edge of the circuit board are aligned with suitable connections on the fitting and then moving the board so that the connecting pins are inserted into the connections. The circuit board may be removed and reinstalled numerous times, and during these repetitions, the parts that hold the connecting pins to the circuit board may weaken. This may lead to complete loss of a connecting pin and permanent damage to the circuit board.
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel connecting pin that avoids this problem by providing the connecting pin with arms that act together to hold the connecting pin to the circuit board, thereby strengthening an attachment of the connecting pin to the circuit board.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel connecting pin that has a plug at an end opposite the insertion end of the pin and that extends in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the insertion end, and a clamping pivot arm that is parallel to the plug and between the insertion end and the plug, where the clamping pivot arm has a hook that pivotally engages an edge of a circuit board and that holds the connector pin in place on the edge of the circuit board when the connecting pin is pivoted about the clamping pivot arm and the plug is inserted into a receptacle in the circuit board.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a combination of this connecting pin with a circuit board, where the circuit board has a notch on its edge for receiving the hook.